Liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus and liquid crystal display having the same

• US 9,201,268 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhang, Zhuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUNG, DAVID Y
• Application Number:
  US13/704,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 349/15, 349/110, 349/200
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133526 Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133606 including a specially adapted diffusing, scattering or light controlling members
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133611 including means for improving the brightness uniformity
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/294 Variable focal length devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/28 focussing or defocussing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/48 Variable attenuator

Abstract

A liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus and a liquid crystal display having the same are disclosed. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus comprises: a first light-transmissive substrate, with a first electrode layer and a first alignment layer being provided sequentially on an upper surface thereof; a second light-transmissive substrate located over the first substrate, with a second electrode layer and a second alignment layer being provided sequentially on a lower surface thereof; and liquid crystal sandwiched between the first and second alignment layers, wherein at least one from the first and second electrode layers is formed as a patterned electrode, and the patterned electrode comprises: a plurality of electrode light-transmissive regions and a plurality of light-shielding regions, arranged at an interval therebetween; and the liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus further comprises a shielding sheet provided above the second substrate, and the shielding sheet comprises: a plurality of shielding sheet light-transmissive regions and a plurality of shielding sheet light-shielding regions, arranged at an interval therebetween; and each of the shielding sheet light-shielding regions is located over one of the electrode regions in the patterned electrode, and has an area less than the area of an electrode region corresponding to it.

Claims

1. A liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus, comprising:

a first light-transmissive substrate, with a first electrode layer and a first alignment layer being provided sequentially on an upper surface of the first substrate;

a second light-transmissive substrate located over the first substrate, with a second electrode layer and a second alignment layer being provided sequentially on a lower surface of the second substrate;

an electrode-voltage control circuit connected to at east one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer; and

liquid crystal sandwiched between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer,

wherein at least one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is formed as a patterned electrode, and the patterned electrode comprises;

a plurality of light-transmissive electrode regions and a plurality of light-shielding regions, arranged at an interval therebetween, and the light-transmissive electrode regions correspond to liquid-crystal-lenses; and

the liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus further comprises a shielding sheet provided above the second substrate and on a light exiting side of the liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus, and the shielding sheet comprises;

a plurality of shielding sheet light-transmissive regions and a plurality of shielding sheet light-shielding regions, arranged at an interval therebetween;

each of the shielding sheet light-shielding regions is located over one of the electrode regions in the patterned electrode, and has an area less than an area of the one of the electrode regions corresponding to it; and

a projection of each of the shielding sheet light-shielding regions on the second substrate, along a direction vertical to the second substrate, is between two adjacent light-shielding regions of the patterned electrode, which two adjacent light-shielding regions defining corresponding one of light-transmissive electrode regions of the patterned electrode;

the electrode-voltage control circuit is provided to control voltages applied to the at least one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer and thus the liquid-crystal-lenses have different focal-lengths to modulate light intensities bypassing the shielding sheet emitting out from the liquid-crystal-lenses.

2. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the patterned electrode is connected with the electrode-voltage control circuit, adapted to control the voltage on each of the electrode regions in the patterned electrode correspondingly.

3. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer is a planar electrode, and the second electrode layer is the patterned electrode;

and the first electrode layer is connected with the electrode-voltage control circuit, adapted to control the voltage on the first electrode layer.

4. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer is the patterned electrode, and the second electrode layer is a planar electrode;

and the second electrode layer is connected with the electrode-voltage control circuit, adapted to control the voltage on the second electrode layer.

5. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are patterned electrodes, and each of the electrode regions in the second electrode layer is located over one of the electrode regions in the first electrode layer correspondingly.

6. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shielding sheet is located outside a single time of the minimum focal-length of the liquid-crystal-lenses.

7. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the shielding sheet is located outside double times of the minimum focal-length of the liquid-crystal-lenses.

8. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrode regions in the patterned electrode are in a circular shape or a polygonal shape.

9. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are assembled and sealed with sealant to form a cell.

10. A liquid crystal display, comprising:

a backlight; and

a liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus provided above the backlight, the apparatus comprising;

a first light-transmissive substrate, with a first electrode layer and a first alignment layer being provided sequentially on an upper surface of the first substrate;

a second light-transmissive substrate located over the first substrate, with a second electrode layer and a second alignment layer being provided sequentially on a lower surface of the second substrate;

an electrode-voltage control circuit connected to at least one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer; and

liquid crystal sandwiched between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer,

wherein at least one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is formed as a patterned electrode, and the patterned electrode comprises;

a plurality of light-transmissive electrode regions and a plurality of light-shielding regions, arranged at an interval therebetween, and the light-transmissive electrode regions correspond to liquid-crystal-lenses; and

the liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus further comprises a shielding sheet provided above the second substrate and on a light exiting side of the liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus, and the shielding sheet comprises;

a plurality of shielding sheet light-transmissive regions and a plurality of shielding sheet light-shielding regions, arranged at an interval therebetween; and

each of the shielding sheet light-shielding regions is located over one of the electrode regions in the patterned electrode, and has an area less than an area of the one of the electrode regions corresponding to it; and

a projection of each of the shielding sheet light-shielding regions on the second substrate, along a direction vertical to the second substrate, is between two adjacent light-shielding regions of the patterned electrode, which two adjacent light-shielding regions defining corresponding one of light-transmissive electrode regions of the patterned electrode;

the electrode-voltage control circuit is provided to control voltages applied to the at least one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer and thus the liquid-crystal-lenses have different focal-lengths to modulate light intensities bypassing the shielding sheet emitting out from the liquid-crystal-lenses.

11. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the patterned electrode is connected with the electrode-voltage control circuit, adapted to control the voltage on each of the electrode regions in the patterned electrode correspondingly.

12. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first electrode layer is a planar electrode, and the second electrode layer is the patterned electrode;

and the first electrode layer is connected with the electrode-voltage control circuit, adapted to control the voltage on the first electrode layer.

13. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first electrode layer is the patterned electrode, and the second electrode layer is a planar electrode;

and the second electrode layer is connected with the electrode-voltage control circuit, adapted to control the voltage on the second electrode layer.

14. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein both the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are patterned electrodes, and each of the electrode regions in the second electrode layer is located over one of the electrode regions in the first electrode layer correspondingly.

15. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the shielding sheet is located outside a single time of the minimum focal-length of the liquid-crystal-lenses.

16. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the shielding sheet is located outside double times of the minimum focal-length of the liquid-crystal-lenses.

17. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the electrode regions in the patterned electrode are in a circular shape or a polygonal shape.

18. The liquid-crystal-lens type light-modulating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are assembled and sealed with sealant to form a cell.

19. The liquid crystal display according to claim 10, further comprising a color filter, and the color filter comprises a plurality of color pixel units;

and each of the color pixel units comprises;

a red filter grid, a green filter grid and a blue filter grid, each grid corresponding to one liquid crystal lens respectively.

20. The liquid crystal display according to claim 10, wherein a diffusing sheet is provided on an upper surface of the shielding sheet or above the shielding sheet;

and the first electrode is the patterned electrode, with a reflective layer being provided on one side of the light-shielding regions thereof facing the backlight.